Arson Aware: Signs to look for, how to talk to teens and kids about setting fire

GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. — Youth fire setting continues to be a problem throughout the United States.

Juveniles account for more than 50% of all arson arrests in the United States, according to BurnPrevention.org.

Statistics show many of the children who set fires lack both parental supervision and fire education.

"This has been an ongoing problem," said E.S.C.A.P.E. President Michael McLeieer. "It's not something that's just happened in the last couple of years since COVID. This has been a multi-decades problem, and we often forget about how we handle this problem, so with a multidisciplinary approach with schools with law enforcement, with court systems, juvenile justice, mental health, we can provide the best opportunities for the family," he said.

E.S.C.A.P.E. Fire and Safety is bringing the reminders to top of mind, saying it's important to educate your child.

• Fire is dangerous
• Even small fires can spread very quickly
• Fire is a tool, not a toy, and must only be used by adults

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Here are some reasons youth set fires:

• Easy access to ignition materials (lighters and matches)
• Lack of adequate supervision
• A failure to practice fire safety in the home
• Easy access to information on the internet

"Many times we find fire setting behavior occurs in the bedroom, because that's the safe space for most children. It could be setting small things on fire. It could be burning a toy, it could be starting a small fire in a closet, or even under the bed where it goes unnoticed," said McLeieer.

According to the U.S. Fire Administration, you can make your home safer by:

• Inspecting it for fire hazards
• Keeping lighters and matches away from children
• Supervising children
• Having working smoke alarms on every level, both inside and outside all sleeping areas

• Planning and practicing your home fire escape plan

  

Here are some things communities can do:

• Prevent firesetting in the first place by providing fire safety educa­tion from preschool through high school
• Raise awareness in your community about youth firesetting
• Form partnerships between local fire departments and private sec­ tor organizations to help support firesetting prevention and inter­vention programs
• Support community-based programs to provide services such as fire safety education and counseling using community resources
• Educate parents/caregivers and all who work with children about where they can go for help about firesetting

"Many times people think that fire setting is an embarrassing situation. Many times parents or caregivers do not feel that they want to bring this to anyone else's attention because they're embarrassed, I’m here to say as a fire service professional, reach out to the experts. We're all non-judgmental. We're all there willing to help at any time, and this is something that we can work through together," said McLeieer.
Fire officials saying if you do feel like your child is at a higher risk of experimenting with fire, contact your local department. The departments often have programs to teach kids about safety.

For further information, visit the U.S. Fire Administration website or contact your local fire department.